Unsheathed

Chapter 395 (3): A Bowl of Chicken Soup, I Don't Know

Liu Qingfeng stood in front of Liu Qingqing's residence and asked Maidservant Zhao Ya to bring his younger sister downstairs.

Zhao Ya felt slightly conflicted.

After roughly learning of the truth over the course of the past few days, the Young Mistress had become utterly heartbroken, especially after hearing that her second brother, Liu Qingshan, had become crippled because of her. In fact, she even thought about committing suicide.

If Zhao Ya hadn't noticed this in a timely manner and removed all of the scissors and whatnot from Liu Qingqing's room, then it was very likely that the Lion Garden would have quickly gone from celebrating to grieving. Because of this, Zhao Ya accompanied her young mistress day and night, never leaving her side.

Moreover, Liu Qingqing appeared even more thin and pallid than the time when the slug demon had been terrorizing the Lion Garden. She was so emaciated that she was essentially nothing more than skin and bones.

"Tell her to come downstairs," Liu Qingfeng instructed in a calm voice.

Zhao Ya felt terrified, and she immediately ran upstairs to notify her young mistress.

Liu Qingqing timidly walked downstairs. In fact, she didn't even dare to let Zhao Ya support her by the arm.

Liu Qingfeng glanced at his younger sister and didn't say anything.

Liu Qingqing looked down with fear and panic in her mind.

Even though her first brother was clearly inferior to Liu Qingshan in every sense, she had somehow been fearful of him ever since a very young age.

"The sky isn't going to collapse. Let's take a walk together," Liu Qingfeng said in a slow voice.

One hour later, Zhao Ya anxiously stood outside Liu Qingqing's residence and waited for her young mistress to return.

When Liu Qingqing finally returned, Zhao Ya saw that there were still tear stains on her face. However, she had seemingly untied the knot in her heart as well.

Holding the hems of her dress, Liu Qingqing entered her residence and walked upstairs. An extremely puzzled Zhao Ya followed closely behind her.

Liu Qingqing suddenly smiled and asked, "Ya'er, do you want to accompany me to the mountains to cultivate together?"

Zhao Ya was astonished, and she looked at her young mistress who no longer appeared dispirited and lifeless before nodding in response.

Liu Qingfeng continued to walk around the Lion Garden by himself.

It was no longer possible for him to become a pure Confucian scholar and elevate his knowledge to a lofty and paramount level.

Since he, Liu Qingfeng, had taken that step, he was now doomed to struggle in the muddy pond for the rest of his life.

There was no way for Liu Qingfeng to express the pain and grief in his heart.

Which scholar didn't want to study in the scripture library and have their essays on morals and etiquette be passed down through the generations?

Which scholar didn't want to have a large number of outstanding students all over the world and be regarded as the embodiment of decorum and the leader of the literary world?

Which scholar didn't want to have pure wind in their sleeves and clean up Confucianism, potentially forging a new path for it as well?

However, some scholars ultimately needed to work as officials, a position in which they would find it most difficult to cultivate themselves and maintain their integrity. Someone needed to deal with the most trifling matters, where they would have to haggle over every single copper coin for the sake of the commoners.

Fortunately, it was said that one could balance both scholarly study and official work once one reached a lofty level of knowledge.

Liu Qingfeng stopped and turned around when he arrived in front of a small bridge spanning over a stream, and he saw Liu Qingshan and Daoist Nun Liu Boqi walking over side-by-side.

In the end, only Liu Qingshan walked over to Liu Qingfeng by himself, smiling and saying, "I want to travel around the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent with Liu Boqi first. I want to visit Lake View Academy and the Great Sui Nation's Mountain Cliff Academy, and I also want to go on a study tour at the new academy that's just been constructed in the Great Li Empire's Dragon Spring Prefecture."

Liu Qingfeng smiled and asked, "Have you thought through everything carefully and made up your mind? If you have, then remember to notify the two teachers and ask for their opinions."

"Mhm, Liu Boqi also said that my leg can be healed, but I feel like there's no need to rush," Liu Qingshan replied with a nod. "Otherwise, I'll be indebted to her again. If in the future..."

"If we become family, then there'll be less need to worry about these things," Liu Qingfeng said in amusement.

Liu Qingshan turned around and was just about to leave.

However, Liu Qingfeng suddenly called out to his younger brother and added, "I want to thank you on behalf of the ancestors of the Liu Clan and all of the scholars of the Azure Phoenix Nation. The scholarly values of the Liu Clan are just as strong as before, and the scholars of the Azure Phoenix Nation are also able to stand up straight and hold their heads up high."

"Why is this?" Liu Qingshan asked in puzzlement. "Big Brother, what are you trying to say? Why don't I understand?"

Liu Qingfeng helped his younger brother straighten his clothes as he smiled faintly and replied, "There's no need for you to worry about these things, silly boy. You simply need to focus on your studies and strive to become a Confucian sage in the future. That way, you can bring honor to the Liu Clan."

"Big Brother, has working as an official caused you to become stupid?" Liu Qingshan asked jokingly. "You're only a county magistrate right now, so what will happen if you become an assistant minister or head minister in the future?"

"I'll figure it out when the time comes," Liu Qingfeng replied with a faint smile.

"Also, can I have a chat with Liu Boqi while you go and bid farewell to the two teachers?" Liu Qingfeng asked. "Rest assured, it will only be a short chat."

"Of course, that's no problem at all," Liu Qingshan replied with a nod.

Liu Qingshan went over to inform Liu Boqi about this, and the latter agreed to Liu Qingfeng's request.

While Liu Qingshan walked off to bid farewell to Mr. Fu and Mr. Liu, Liu Qingfeng led Liu Boqi to the ancestral hall of the Liu Clan.

Liu Qingfeng didn't say anything as they walked.

Liu Boqi felt slightly uneasy in a very rare turn of events.

Of course, this was naturally because of her relationship with Liu Qingshan. It was love at first sight, and this had caused her to feel like a junior when interacting with Liu Qingfeng and Liu Jingting afterward.

At the same time, Liu Boqi also had a strange feeling that Liu Qingfeng wasn't as simple and ordinary as he appeared on the surface.

Liu Qingfeng stopped outside the ancestral hall and asked, "Liu Boqi, let's assume that my younger brother Liu Qingshan will only have the short lifespan of a mortal human. What will you do in this case?"

"I'm already an earth immortal, and it won't be too difficult for me to advance further and become an Upper Five Tier cultivator in the future. As such, I'm willing to sacrifice one hundred years for Liu Qingshan," Liu Boqi replied.

"Then what if Liu Qingshan has a bright and prosperous future and aspires to achieve the three eternal pursuits of Confucianism?[1] And what if he has the opportunity to truly achieve this? What will you do then?"

"I'll stand by Liu Qingshan no matter the situation. If someone dares to harm my husband's Great Dao, then they'll first need to ask my saber, Jing God, and my bonded saber, Jiazuo, whether they agree or not," Liu Boqi replied.

Liu Qingfeng shook his head upon hearing this.

Liu Boqi frowned and asked, "Then what should I do?"

Liu Qingfeng's voice was soft as he explained, "When dealing with significant challenges, especially those that pertain to life and death, I hope that my sister-in-law can consider things from Liu Qingshan's perspective. It shouldn't be the case that your first thought is, 'I, Liu Boqi, feel like this should be done, so this is definitely the best solution for Liu Qingshan. I'll go ahead and make this choice for him.'

"To pursue the Great Dao is to embark on a perilous journey that's inevitably filled with conflict and death. However, since you've already stated that you'll stand by Liu Qingshan no matter what, then I hope that you'll try to truly understand what it is that Liu Qingshan is thinking and pursuing.

"That being the case, there's something that I want to make clear to you right now. It's without a doubt that you'll suffer some grievances in the future. In fact, you might suffer some significant grievances."

Liu Boqi had initially felt a little awkward after being referred to as "sister-in-law," but after hearing Liu Qingfeng's explanation, she now felt nothing but sincere respect and admiration for him. She smiled widely and promised, "Rest assured, I'm fully convinced by your words. I accept them with all my heart! I'm a fairly stubborn person, but I can still discern whether a person's words are intended to help or harm!"

As if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders, Liu Qingfeng smiled and remarked, "It looks like my younger brother has outstanding judgment."

He then extended his hand toward the ancestral hall and said, "You're an immortal from the mountains, so you only need to bow three times to the ancestral hall of the Liu Clan."

Liu Boqi followed Liu Qingfeng's instructions.

However, she noticed that Liu Qingfeng also bowed at the ancestral hall.

There was a solemn feeling in Liu Boqi's mind.

"If everything goes according to plan, then it won't be long before my name is erased from the genealogical records of the Liu Clan," Liu Qingfeng said in a soft voice. "I'll no longer be Liu Qingshan's older brother at that time. If Liu Qingshan receives a letter from the Liu Clan when that time comes, and if he wants to abandon his journey and insists on returning the the Lion Garden to criticize and denounce me, then you definitely have to stop him regardless of whether the two of you are in the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent or the Middle Earth Divine Continent. You must protect him and urge him to continue his journey and his pursuit of knowledge."

Even though Liu Boqi was in the dark regarding the context, she still nodded and replied with a wry smile, "You want me to play the villain so soon? You sure aren't holding back."

Liu Qingfeng changed the topic and asked, "I heard that you taught Lady Liu Shu a vicious lesson?"

Liu Boqi couldn't help but feel guilty and uneasy.

However, Liu Qingfeng smiled widely and revealed, "I actually wanted to beat her up ever since I was a little boy, and I initially thought that I would still need to wait for another seven to eight years before I could achieve this. So, I need to thank you again."

Only at this moment did Liu Boqi finally start to sincerely accept the traditions and values of the Liu Clan.

Somewhere in the distance, Liu Qingshan limped toward the ancestral hall.

He saw his older brother chatting merrily with the woman whom he loved, and he was aware that his marriage with Liu Boqi would essentially be a certainty once his older brother gave his approval. A grin spread across Liu Qingshan's face, and the young scholar felt like there were no more difficult matters in the world.

1. The three eternal pursuits of Confucianism (三不朽) refer to establishing a strong moral compass (立德), making contributions to society and empire (立功), and ensuring that one's words and writings are worthy of being passed down to future generations (立言). ☜